Kindergarten Books > Just an Empty Field

Just an Empty Field

Written by: Tamar Weiss-Gabbay/ Illustrated by: Bella Potchebutzky / Publisher: Kinneret

Years ago, a young girl came across Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Hananya while he attempted to walk through a field. She noticed that people had trampled it, paving an inconsiderate path for themselves, and taught a man older and wiser than her an important lesson in caring (Eruvin 53b).

Centuries later, the story of their encounter has inspired this one, Just an Empty Field, about a smart girl and her friends, who teach the adults in their lives a lesson in sensitivity and caring for the environment. The book also suggests that we readers be more attentive to those around us, learn from every person we come across, and treat our environment with care and modesty.

Reading together, experiencing together

Family Activities

"It's important to be considerate toward our environment" – What does being considerate mean? How can we be more considerate of one another at home, within our own family? And how can we care for our environment? You could discuss these questions with your child, and come up with suggestions on ...

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Classroom Activities

Years ago, a young girl came across Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Hananya while he attempted to walk through a field. She noticed that people had trampled it, paving an inconsiderate path for themselves, and taught a man older and wiser than her an important lesson in caring (Eruvin 53b).

Centuries later, the story of their encounter has inspired this one, Just an Empty Field, about a smart girl and her friends, who teach the adults in their lives a lesson in sensitivity and caring for the environment. The book also suggests that we readers be more attentive to those around us, learn from every person we come across, and treat our environment with care and modesty.

Reading together, experiencing together

פעילות בחיק המשפחה

  • Discussion – What does it mean to be considerate?- "It's important to be considerate toward our environment" – What does being considerate mean? How can we be more considerate of one another at home, within our own family? And how can we care for our environment? You could discuss these questions with your child, and come up with suggestions on how to be more considerate of other people as well as the environment.
  • An invitation for an observation- You're most invited to embark on an observation on a piece of nature in your immediate surroundings: A park near your home, or field, or yard, or even a planter on your balcony. What would you discover if you sat down quietly and watched? You may want to bring a magnifying glass along with you.
  • Learning from one another- What can adults learn from children? Lots of things! How to play their favorite game, engage in arts & crafts, find out more about a subject they learned about in preschool, or just share an interesting thought. And what can children learn from adults? To find out what we can learn from one another, all we have to do is sit together, and pay attention.
  • Catching colors- The sky is blue, the earth is brown, and vegetation is green. You may enjoy going outdoors and "catching colors": Take turns to say a color, while the other players quickly find an item around them that is the same color, and point to it.

רעיונות לשילוב הספר בגן

From the Field